BERNE — The town board here is seeking more oversight of its youth council and of the Switzkill Farm Board.

There is currently an open public hearing on proposed changes for the youth council and Supervisor Sean Lyons said this week that a similar bill will introduce town board oversight to the Switzkill board, made up of volunteers who plan events for the town’s parkland, a former Buddhist retreat.

While the Switzkill board doesn’t have any paid positions, the town board would have more oversight on policies and approving certain programs. Lyons said  changes that give the town board more oversight are standard in other committees and boards.

The youth-council bill was introduced in August by the town board, but Lyons said the board started discussing this in July. The board is keeping open a public hearing on a proposed change to the town code.

The town board was divided on appointing Highway Superintendent Randy Bashwinger to the Youth Council this spring, with Lyons and Councilman Dennis Palow in favor of the appointment; Councilwomen Dawn Jordan and Karen Schimmer voted against Bashwinger’s appointment in May, but the vote was tied because Councilman Joel Willsey abstained from the vote.

Controversy arose at the Switzkill Farm soon after Lyons took office when the town’s new building inspector evicted two Buddhists who lived at a retreat house on the farm, stating that smoke detectors and sprinklers didn’t work.

Diane Poole left, with just a day’s notice, and never returned. Nelson Kent lived with various friends for months and is now living at the retreat house again, having been named caretaker at Switzkill Farm.

The Sept. 12 hearing on the youth-council bill lasted half of an hour. “There was a lot of public comment,” said Lyons.

The supervisor said that the biggest change proposed in the bill is having the town board approve the appointment of the youth council’s director. Lyons said he is happy with the current director, Jean Guarino, who was appointed this summer, but said that all paid positions should have town board oversight.

The public hearing will continue at next month’s board meeting, but does not need to be announced since it’s a continuation of the same hearing, said the town’s clerk, Anita Clayton. This also means that opinions on the law can still be sent to the board.

Most of the proposed law is reworked language, but the bill does include some additions to the assigned duties to the Youth Council and its director. A minimum of three programs per age group for each year are required.

The town board would still approve recommended programs but the bill further stipulates board approval is required for all programs, including bus trips and overnight trips.

In the original law, the director is assigned to meet with the youth council twice a year to set policies and procedures with and to hire assistants with council approval. In the proposed law, policy recommendations and hiring also would go before the town board.

The proposed law also specifies that supplies would be ordered through the town clerk “whenever possible” and receipts for other purchases would be submitted to the clerk.

Lyons said that the board will likely rework the bill before the next meeting in order to better specify how the director would be appointed.

The hearing will continue on Oct. 10 at 6:45 p.m., said Lyons. He hopes to introduce the bill to update Switzkill Farm Board policies on that date as well.

The town board was divided on appointing Highway Superintendent Randy Bashwinger to the Youth Council this spring, with Lyons and Councilman Dennis Palow in favor of the appointment; Councilwomen Dawn Jordan and Karen Schimmer voted against Bashwinger’s appointment in May, but the vote was tied because Councilman Joel Willsey abstained from the vote.